đ Note: this article explains how participants in FIFTH DOMAIN competitions interact with Connor Coach inside a challenge, and what to expect from each coaching level.
What is Connor Coach?
Connor Coach is your in-challenge assistant, embedded directly in challenges on the FIFTH DOMAIN platform. When you are stuck, Connor Coach helps you think through the challenge, clarifying concepts and pointing you toward an approach, without handing over the flag.
Connor Coach can see the challenge you are working on, including its attachments and its lab environment, and can start the lab for you if it has not been started yet. This is the same at every coaching level. What changes between levels is how much of that Connor Coach will draw on when it answers.
How to Access Connor Coach
To start chatting with Connor Coach, first open the competition you are participating in. Once there, follow these steps:
Open the specific challenge you are working on within the competition.
In the challenge drawer, locate the CONNOR tab alongside the other tabs available for that challenge.
Click the CONNOR tab to open a chat window where you can ask your questions.
Connor Coach is available in both team and individual competitions. The tabs you see alongside it depend on the competition type.
In team competitions, the challenge drawer shows Challenge Resources [1], Team Chat [2] and CONNOR [3].
[1] Challenge Resources ¡ [2] Team Chat ¡ [3] CONNOR tab
In individual competitions, the challenge drawer shows Challenge Resources [1] and CONNOR [2] only.
[1] Challenge Resources ¡ [2] CONNOR tab
đ Note: The CONNOR tab only appears in challenges where Connor Coach is enabled. If a challenge does not include Connor Coach, you simply will not see the tab. Connor Coach is also only available in competitions, not in assessments, courses, or training on the platform.
When Connor Coach Can be Accessed
You can interact with Connor Coach at any time within challenges during your competition. Connor Coach is accessible at all stages of an individual challenge, from before you start solving it, to even after you have successfully completed it.
Coaching Levels
Connor Coach can be set to one of three coaching levels. The level is chosen by the competition organiser and applies to the whole competition, so every challenge in that competition uses the same level and you cannot change it yourself.
The level determines how much detail Connor Coach will give you. It does not change what Connor Coach refuses to do. At every level, Connor Coach will never reveal a flag or any part of one.
Level 1
At Level 1, Connor Coach works from the challenge description only. It helps you understand what the challenge is asking and the concepts behind it, but it will not tell you what to do next.
At this level, you might ask:
âWhat is this challenge about?â
âWhat am I being asked to do?â
âExplain the conceptâ
âWhere can I learn more about this topic?â
At this level, Connor Coach will not suggest a sequence of steps to follow, and will not recommend specific tools or techniques for the challenge.
Level 1 on the StreamValid challenge.
Level 2
At Level 2, Connor Coach works from the challenge description and can guide you through the challenge one step at a time. Rather than laying out the whole approach at once, it gives you a single step with the reasoning behind it, then waits for you to work through it before moving on.
At this level, you might ask:
âWhat is the next step?â
âShow me the next stepâ
âHelp me with this partâ
âExplain the conceptâ
At this level, Connor Coach will not give you the exact commands, payloads, or inputs that solve the challenge, and will not walk you through a complete working solution.
Level 2 on the same challenge.
Level 3
At Level 3, Connor Coach can take you through the solution path in detail. This is the most permissive level and is typically used for training-focused or introductory challenges where the goal is learning rather than competition.
At this level, you might ask:
âGuide me through this challengeâ
âHelp me understand the solution pathâ
âWalk me through this partâ
Even at this level, Connor Coach will not reveal the flag or any part of the flag, and will not submit anything on your behalf or mark the challenge complete.
Level 3 on the same challenge â starting the lab and proposing the first step.
Level 3 continued â running the scan and reading the result.
Guidelines for Interacting with Connor Coach
Whatever level a challenge is set to, the following applies as you interact with Connor Coach and ask it questions:
Flags will never be provided: Connor Coach will not reveal any flags, or any parts of a challengeâs flag, such as the first letter or first word of a flag.
Responses will be limited to specific challenges: Connor Coach can only provide insight relevant to the specific challenge you are attempting. It will not be able to provide insight on other challenges, and it will not engage in general conversation or unrelated topics.
Each challenge has its own chat: Connor Coach does not retain chat history across different challenges or competitions, so each new challenge has its own separate, independent chat.
Information will only be provided within Connor Coachâs knowledge cutoff: Connor Coach can only offer guidance within its programmed knowledge base and will not have information on any developments beyond this set limit.
Connor Coach cannot modify challenges: Connor Coach cannot modify any challenge or change its required approach or solution for any reason, for example, to make certain steps easier.
đ Note: Your Connor Coach chat history is private and only visible to you. In team competitions, even your team members will not be able to see each otherâs chat history with Connor Coach for any challenge.
Sending Messages to Connor Coach
When you are ready to ask a question, type it into the input box [1]. You can also attach images to help Connor Coach understand your question in context, using the Attach Image button [2] inside the box. When you are ready, click send [3].
[1] input box ¡ [2] Attach Image ¡ [3] send
Once sent, your message appears in the chat feed and Connor Coach responds in real time. Its responses appear as text, formatted for easy reading, including lists and code snippets where relevant. Connor Coach can only generate text and code snippets, so it cannot create images or other output forms.
Connor Coach serves as a useful in-platform AI assistant as you work through challenges in your competition. Remember, AI responses may make mistakes. Connor Coachâs capabilities are still evolving, so if you encounter any limitations, try rephrasing your question or asking a different one.
If you have specific feedback you would like to provide about Connor Coach, you can raise a request with the FIFTH DOMAIN support team from the Helpdesk tab in the Connor panel.